COWBOYS
How are Marist Liufau and Puka Nacua related?
Football runs in the family for Cowboys rookie linebacker Marist Liufau, whose cousin Puka Nacua made a name for himself in his rookie season with the Rams.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted linebacker Marist Liufau at the end of the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Liufau is from Honolulu, Hawaii and of Polynesian descent. Last year, another rookie of Polynesian descent made himself known in the league. Puka Nacua, the wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams is of Samoan descent and came onto the NFL scene immediately breaking records as a rookie. It’s no coincidence that Liufau and Nacua share a heritage - they are actually related.
How are Marist Liufau and Puka Nacua related?
As it turns out, Liufau and Nacua are actually cousins.
In fact, Liufau believes their heritage is part of the reason the two ended up becoming NFL players.
“It’s a testament to how we were raised and just our mindset growing up, especially as Polynesian kids,” Liufau said. “Representing our family, our culture, I think we hold a chip on our shoulder for sure.”
As the Cowboys and Rams played each other in their preseason opener, we hoped we’d get a chance to see the two play on the field together, but no such luck as Nacua is currently nursing a knee injury. They have, however, been able to link up as the Cowboys and Rams had joint practices before and after their preseason game.
Although the two are family, they didn’t get a chance to see each other much growing up, as Liufau was raised in Hawaii and Nacua in Utah. Nacua went from breaking state records in high school to an outstanding college career at Brigham Young University and then finally breaking rookie records in the NFL, including receptions in a rookie season (105), receiving yards in a rookie season (1,486), receptions by a rookie in a single game (15), and receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game (181).
All those years, Liufau had been keeping tabs on Nacua, watching as he found success on the football field everywhere he went.
“We were disconnected in that aspect, because of the distance, and so we grew up apart, but I was keeping an eye out on him, just because I knew he was playing ball,” Liufau said. “I knew he was a baller. He always was a baller.”
Liufau actually started out playing football as a running back, but eventually changed to safety and then finally linebacker. At Punahou High School, Liufau recorded 82 tackles and was selected to play in the 2019 Polynesian Bowl, where Nacua played as well. Liufau went to college at Notre Dame, where he excelled in his final season, starting in all 12 games and recording 44 tackles and three sacks and earned a nomination as Butkus Award semifinalist.
The young linebacker now hopes to do what Nacua has done in the NFL and find success early in the league with the Cowboys.
“It’s just inspiring to see family doing such great things at this level,” Liufau said. “It’s definitely a confidence boost for me, as well as my other family members, to do whatever we want to do in life.”